Overseas Territories in the French Media

In this blog about women's rights, a group of Lille University master's students present a range of reports from the French media concerning the debates surrounding women's rights in France, the French-speaking world, and beyond. English versions of the articles, complete with glossaries and notes, provide an insight into how the French media are treating a range of sometimes controversial topics.

In an attempt to wrest control of the national security debate from Marine Le Pen, rather than to appeal to students (a majority of whom supported Jean-Luc Mélenchon in the first round of the presidential election), Emmanuel Macron's election manifesto pledges to boost the military reserves and increase financial support for students who sign up; Marie-Christine Corbier reports in Les Echos.

Emmanuèle Bailly, writing for the national news media outlet France info, explains how the cost of living crisis among students has led the charity Emmaus to tailor one of its Parisian second-hand shops to student needs.

Writing for the specialised student media group l'Etudiant, Hippolyte Loechner gives an overview of the costs of studying in France, from tuition fees to housing and everyday expenses.

Caroline Madeuf, writing in Handirect, a French disability news magazine, reveals a new project designed to improve access to higher education for students with autistic spectrum disorder in France.

Felicia Sideris, writing for the TF1 Info website, reports that the French higher education authorities categorically deny the allegation that Russian students are being excluded from French universities in response to the war in Ukraine.

At the start of the current academic year, a report on TF1 News, the main independent terrestrial TV news bulletin in France, revealed some of the serious financial difficulties faced by students.

A report on the website of TV station BFMTV reveals the results of a survey carried out by researchers at the University of Bordeaux, showing that the mental health of students has been more adverseley affected by the pandemic than is the case for most other sections of the French population.

Writing in Le Point a year ago, Alice Pairo-Vasseur reports on early work by France's research institute for student life revealing the serious impact of the Covid pandemic on the living conditions and mental health of students.

Olivier Monod, writing in left-wing daily Libération, reports (with a certain amount of irony) on President Macron's announcement, in the run up to this year's presidential election, of more "modernising" reforms for French universities, including the extremely controversial plan to introduce genuine tuition fees for French students.